The Washington Post is celebrating that over ten thousand illegal aliens — mainly from Venezuela — now operate much of the U.S. capital‘s food delivery infrastructure in an article published Sunday. The newspaper ignores or de-emphasizes the impact of this cheap illegal labor pool on the economy and public safety.
Focusing primarily on the experiences of the delivery drivers who zip around Washington, D.C., on mopeds, the paper ignores the perverse incentive the cheap illegal alien labor has on companies like Uber, which have increased their ride-hail and delivery rates four times faster than inflation over the last two years. The increase in fees on consumers and reductions in driver pay have allowed the company to achieve an impressive 72 percent annual revenue growth rate.
The newspaper only gives passing mention of the safety concerns raised by local residents and the fact that almost all of the new drivers from Central and South America lack legal work permits. “As they pursue the months-long process of claiming asylum and applying for work permits, many immigrants have leaned on food delivery to stay afloat financially,” The Washington Post notes, while acknowledging that “some D.C. residents have publicly expressed frustration at what they say is erratic and unsafe behavior on the mopeds.”
Almost all the illegal alien delivery drivers in D.C. lack both driver and health insurance, and without official identifying documents, they also lack vehicle registrations — meaning they’re all operating on the streets in contravention of the law. This burgeoning illegal industry has made transiting the roadways around the nation’s capital more dangerous for residents and delivery drivers alike.
However, lawmakers at the local and national levels appear content to let the illegal delivery sector continue unabated despite its problems. Illegal and legal immigrant labor have helped the Biden government boost national employment numbers — with most of the U.S. labor force recovery driven by immigrants entering the job market. And, despite concerns that the immigrants —predominantly hailing from Venezuela — potentially have ties to the dangerous Tren de Aragua gang, the lure of increased consumption and corporate profits have incentivized Congress and the Biden government to take little action to address the border crisis.
